Health Psychology: AIDS and HIV

Psychosocial Effects on AIDS

• Caused by HIV
• Symptoms may appear years after infection
  • AIDS-related complex: minor symptoms such as weight loss and fever
• May take as long as a decade to progress to fullblown AIDS (appearance of serious illness)
  • In developing world, most die within 1 year of AIDS
• Best treatment: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) – not a cure

US AIDS Cases by Mode of Transmission

• Male to Male Sexual Contact—50%
• Heterosexual Contact—32%
• Injection Drug Use—17%
• Other—1%

Psychosocial Factors and AIDS

• Exacerbation of AIDS progression:
  • High stress
  • Low social support
• Goals:
  • Reduce stress
  • Boost immune system
• Outcomes:
  • Increased T-helper cells
  • Lower antibodies
  • Enhanced psychological adjustment

Increased Survival for HIV

• Randomized controlled trials examined efficacy of psychological interventions on neuroendocrine hormone regulation and immune status in HIV-positive individuals
• Little support for differential efficacy of different interventions
• Treatments that are successful in improving psychological adjustment are more likely to have beneficial effects on neuroendocrine regulation and immune status